The Detroit Pistons are banged up and saddled with a five-game losing streak. The last thing they need is a matchup against a Central Division opponent that has dominated them in recent seasons.
Alas, that’s the Pistons’ plight as they visit Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
Detroit had seven players sidelined by injuries or illness on Monday when it faced a fully healthy Golden State squad. The Pistons hung around until the late stages before succumbing, 120-109.
Starting center Jalen Duren missed the game due to ankle soreness, and key reserves Joe Harris and Jaden Ivey also sat out.
Without Duren, the Pistons had just seven offensive rebounds, compared with 17 for the Warriors.
The Pistons have lost 17 of their past 18 meetings with the Bucks, including Milwaukee’s four-game series sweep last season.
A bright spot was two-way player Stanley Umude, who came off the bench and contributed 15 points, including four 3-pointers.
The Bucks have won their past two games, including a 129-125 thriller at Brooklyn on Monday. As usual, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way. He had 36 points and 12 rebounds.
Damian Lillard was limited to 21 points while shooting 5-for-15 from the field. He added seven assists and only committed one turnover.
As the score would suggest, the Bucks had difficulty guarding the Nets. Brooklyn scored 67 first-half points.
Antetokounmpo also noted that the defense needs work, though the offense was humming as the Bucks shot 47.9 percent from the field. Following Wednesday’s contest, Milwaukee plays six of its next eight games on the road.
